Richard Tice backs Ben Habib in Wellingborough by-election
Reform UK's Ben Habib has declared that the Wellingborough by-election "is a referendum on Rishi Sunak" after his controversial Rwanda Bill cleared the Commons.
Mr Habib, a former Conservative Party donor and Brexit Party MEP, is running for Reform in the Wellingborough by-election with many seeing it as the first significant test by the party against the Tories.
Wellingborough in Northamptonshire voted 63 percent for Brexit in 2016 and was represented by leading Brexiteer Tory MP Peter Bone until he was forced to resign after a recall petition.
But with the Conservatives defending a majority of 18,540 from the 2019 election there are concerns among Tory MPs that Reform UK could win more votes and potentially push them into third place behind Labour as well.
Some have suggested that a humiliating result in Wellingborough and the Kingswood by-election on the same day could still trigger the 49 letters needed from Tory MPs to demand a vote of confidence in Sunak's leadership.
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READ MORE: Exact date set for Rishi Sunak's double by-election nightmare
Ben Habib is the Reform UK by-election candidate (Image: Getty)
Mr Habib told Express.co.uk: "The Wellingborough by-election is a referendum on Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Government.
"He [Sunak] is not a real Conservative, he has raised taxes and increased spending to eyewatering levels.
"Added to that he has failed to take advantage of Brexit opportunities, he has signed away part of the UK (Northern Ireland) back to the EU in the dreadful Windsor Framework, and he has failed to stop the small boats and illegal migration.
"The farce of the Rwanda Bill this week which will not work shows that he has no real plan to stop illegal migration at all.
"Added to all that he has brought David Cameron back into Government as Foreign Secretary. This is the man who led the Remain campaign and does not believe in Brexit. It shows Sunak does not really believe in Brexit either."
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Peter Bone is the former MP now his partner Helen Harrison is running as the Tory candidate (Image: Getty)
Mr Habib added: "If the Conservatives cannot defend a seat where they won more than 32,000 votes in 2019 and held a majority of more than 18,000 then Sunak does not deserve to stay in Downing Street.
"Voters in Wellingborough can send a message to the Government and the Conservative Party that change is needed."
There had been speculation that Mr Bone might support Reform UK or run as an independent after being ousted as MP because he remains popular locally.
But the Tories instead selected his partner Helen Harrison, who is a councillor in North Northamptonshire and was a noted Brexit grassroots campaigner.
One Conservative source said: "Helen was probably not the Prime Minister's first choice but actually she was a very clever choice. Both she and Peter are superb campaigners on the ground and if anyone can win it for the party then she can."
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While many believe that Mr Sunak is now safe having seen off the Rwanda Bill rebellion from the right of his party, letters have gone in asking for a leadership vote while others have made it clear they will wait to see what happens in the by-elections.
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One Tory MP said: "The two by-elections will be a big moment. It may be final decision time on whether to change leader."
Another MP said: "If we lose to Reform in a seat where UKIP once came second then we will have a problem. It will show that the polls are right in that Reform are taking votes off us and can lose us seats.
"That will rase questions about the Prime Minister with colleagues and then we will see."
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